Stibnite Mine

The goal is to boost domestic mining of lithium and other minerals officials say are critical to national security and the economy.

Local and national conservation groups are suing the U.S. Forest Service for approving the reopening of the Stibnite mine earlier this year, a gold and antimony mining project in central Idaho.

China recently banned exports of certain rare earth minerals to the U.S. as part of an ongoing tech war between the two superpowers. With the largest supplier of those minerals out, some experts weigh in on what this means for the growing industry in the Rocky Mountains.

About half the world’s supply of antimony and 63% of what the U.S. imports comes from China. The United States gets another 18% of its supply from recycled e-waste, but there is no active domestic antimony mining.

The company planning to resurrect gold and antimony mining in Valley County’s historic Stibnite district could get most of its operation start-up costs covered by financing from the government-backed Export-Import Bank (EXIM).

Public comment on the latest draft environmental impact statement prepared by the Forest Service for plans to resume mining at the historic Stibnite site in Valley County are due January 10, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced it’s giving Perpetua Resources the first “Critical Minerals Award” from Congress’s Ukraine aid package.

The forest service identified Perpetua’s modified plan as its ‘preferred alternative.’ In a press release, the company wrote it was glad that community feedback earlier in the process had made the plan for Stibnite better.

Stallion Gold last fall formally requested drilling exploration permits from the U.S. Forest Service. Rick Wells, Minerals program manager for the Boise National Forest, said exploratory drilling isn’t that much different than drilling a water well might be.

The U.S. Forest Service wants the company hoping to re-open the Stibnite Mine for more information on possible environmental impacts of its latest plan. That means Perpetua Resources will have to wait until at least 2023 for a decision on its permit. We look back at the site's complex history and uncertain future here in Idaho.